Bedford still feeling the impact of Redwood Grove explosion six months on
An investigation found the explosion to be a deliberate act of arson
Six months have passed since an explosion at Redwood Grove in Bedford that took the life of a resident and destroyed more than 20 flats.
Reena James, 43, was the only person to have died in the fire. It was later revealed that Ms James started the fire in a neighbours flat where it then spread to the rest of the building.
Half a year later, the aftermath of the incident is still being felt, with some residents still waiting for permanent accommodation.
What happened on July 4th?
Emergency services were called to the scene at around 9am - to reports of an explosion and fire at a property.
A three-storey block of flats was significantly damaged in the fire, which caused a large section of the roof to collapse.
Three people were taken to hospital but later released. It was also revealed that one person, Reena James, had died in the fire.
It was later discovered that Ms James deliberately started the fire in another resident's flat.
Ms James doused the flat in a flammable liquid which was then set alight. The act of arson caused an explosion, leaving the property uninhabitable.
What's the situation now?
The block of flats on Redwood Grove has since been knocked down and whilst the majority of residents have found new homes, some are still in limbo.
Adrian Mazurkiewicz and his partner were at home when the fire broke out. He explained what it was like to look at the remnants of his home: ""There's only this much left of my home and the memories that we built here. There's only a few supporting walls, it's a demolition site at this point. It's genuinely heart breaking and it's not a nice feeling at all to know it's gone."
But the fire has had a lasting impact: "I just don't feel like I can trust people, if that's the right way to put it, to live again in a flat. I've built this sort of mistrust, if you will, and I really wouldn't want to live in another flat if possible."
Fellow resident Karina Caetano agreed: "It's completely put me off living in a flat. I don't want to live through something like that again. Though you might do everything right, you might follow the rules, we careful with your things, you don't know what your neighbours are doing."
Ms Caetano was also at home during the fire and even attempted to locate her opposite neighbour, Ms James, before leaving the property.
It was later revealed Ms James had started the fire and died in the process but the situation had a significant impact on Ms Caetano: "I had gone in her flat and we didn't know what caused the explosion. So for a very long time I thought I was incapable of saving her and thought I was to blame for that. I had severe PTSD for over two months."
Both Adrian and Karina, as well as the other members of Redwood Grove, are still rebuilding their lives after the tragedy but remain optimistic about the future.